Job Information
Ingham County Human Resources Medical Social Worker-Strong Start Healthy Start in Lansing, Michigan
Under the supervision of a Public Health Services Supervisor, assesses the social and emotional needs of public health clients to identify risk areas that could prevent the client from having a healthy outcome to pregnancy and ability to parent a child, families in crisis, and adults with psycho-social needs. Assists clients in obtaining assistance to meet those needs. Provides direct counseling services to clients.
Essential Functions
Interviews client to obtain information concerning their economic condition and community and family support systems. Determines what resources are needed such as financial help, basic needs items, parenting information, housing assistance, legal assistance, and referral to other units in the Health Department or other agencies in the community. Determines client's eligibility for Health Department services.
Provides a variety of counseling services and psychosocial assessments to children and adults.
Contacts various agencies on the client's behalf. Coordinates support services in areas such as financial help, basic needs items, parenting information, housing and clothing assistance, and legal assistance.
Participates as an interdisciplinary team composed of health professionals from various disciplines to develop a plan of service for clients and to provide and receive feedback on client's progress.
Monitors implementation of service plans, providing follow-up and assessment of services in relation to goals and objectives of the service plan.
6. Provides follow-up services including case conferences with other health professionals, home visits, and further assistance, referrals, and education to families as needed.
Provides crisis intervention services to parents who are having severe behavioral problems with their children, immediate financial or housing problems, partner abuse, or other crises. May include resource identification, referrals, coordination with other agencies, and helping the family to cope emotionally.
8. Maintains good working relations with other community agencies and advocates for clients by identifying needs to individuals and community and service agencies.
9. Assists physicians and other Health Department staff to identify incidences of possible child abuse and neglect and makes written and verbal reports to Children's Protective Services and/ or the police as needed. May interview children regarding possible sexual abuse.
10. Provides information to other units in the health department, other agencies, and community members about health department services, parenting resources, health care resources, and other information as requested. Makes presentations about Health Department services to interested groups.
11. May provide HIV counseling to parents or guardians of children when a physician has ordered HIV testing, and follow the state and agency protocols for completing forms and giving test results.
May develop a service plan based on input from the client, staff, and members of the client's family, if applicable.
Attends in-services and professional conferences on psychosocial issues affecting children and shares all pertinent information with Health Department staff that is assisting clients with plans of care.
14. Establishes and maintains relationships with other agency personnel for referrals and follow-up services.
Maintains case records and completes reports as required by department standards and the requirements of third party funding sources.
Ensures that clinical documentation regarding clients is kept secure and confidential and maintained consistent with Health Department policies and procedures.